Certain vehicle components require high voltages and currents that, in turn, demand high power switching and fusing. Junction box assemblies are designed to distribute the necessary power from the vehicle's main power source (i.e., a battery or fuel cell) to these vehicle components in order to provide such requirements. The junction box assembly safeguards against electrical arcing between connections and protects circuits from external elements, while maintaining these high powered connections.
As shown in FIG. 7, the junction box assembly typically includes a housing member 32′ having a plurality of electrical components (e.g., an electrical component 34′) secured thereto. The electrical component 34′ includes a pair of barbs 102′ for fixedly but releasably securing the component 34′ to a component receptacle 58′ of the housing member 32′. The component 34′ may be inserted into the component receptacle 58′ so as to align the barbs 102′ with corresponding locking openings 76′. When a depressing force F is applied to the component 34′, the barbs 102′ may force locking tabs 92′ in the locking openings 76′ to move resiliently outwardly from the component receptacle 58′.
Contact between a terminal surface 82′ and a lower surface 96′ of the component 34′ prevents further movement of the component 34′ into the component receptacle 58′ and as such, the component 34′ does not touch a surface 66′ of the housing member 32′. At this point, the barbs 102′ may be fully seated in the locking openings 76′ allowing the locking tabs 92′ to spring back to their original position and leaving a gap 106′ between the locking tabs 92′ and the barbs 102′. Accordingly, the component 34′ allows for some relative motion, such as at gap 106′, between the component 34′ and the housing member 32′ in order to guarantee that the barbs 102′ may be seated within the locking openings 76′.